Friday, January 28, 2011

I thought it might be fun to post my favorite photo from the week here on Fridays. They might be personal or professional, who knows. My favorite from this week is most definitely this picture of my son, Ashton.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Did you know that you could search etsy based on color? Well, you can. This would be a great idea if you are gift hunting for someone. When you are short on ideas you can just search by their favorite color to get inspiration.

I did a search of the colors in the rainbow, as in ROYGBIV (you know- the acronymn for red orange yellow green blue indigo and violet). Check out what I found:

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I got the following question from a reader and thought I would address it here in case any of you were wondering the same thing.

"I get a lot of offers for different things...countless offers from photographers offering to trade services (I send them clothes that they keep, in exchange for photos of the clothes to use in my shop). Or mom-blogs offering to review an item and keep it in exchange for featuring it on a review post. Have you ever found things like this to be beneficial? Have you seen any success with things like this?"

My answer is simply, that it depends. Let me explain.

First of all, when you are thinking of having your shop written up in a blog review you need to remember one thing. You will most likely not see an increase in shop sales right away. It is rare that you are featured somewhere and that a reader sees the article on the exact day that they are looking for an item you happen to sell.

What is more likely is that you will see an increase in your sites traffic (which you can track through google analytics) and also an increase in your shops hearts. Sales come later. The point of these articles is to get your name out there and in peoples minds for the future. When they are ready to buy a baby shower gift you want them to remember that cute shop they read about a few weeks ago on so-and-so's blog. Insert your sales increase here.

Okay, back to answering the question...personally I think the product/review trade off is not a good idea. If someone offers to write a giveaway or feature your shop for free, that is one thing. Never pass on free press.

However, when someone wants to review and keep your item in return for an article written up...I can't help but think that the reviewer just wants free stuff. Now, there are certainly exceptions to this. If the blog has an enormous following (say more than 1,000 followers) then I would consider it. Blogs of this size have a huge following for a reason. If you have a chance to get your name out to that many people then I would not pass it up.

Another exception to this rule would be a customer who purchased your product for themselves and they just happen to want to feature your shop on their blog. In that case, absolutely go for it!

Yet another situation that I would consider is when the reviewer wants to see your product in person but then does not keep it but gives it away to one of their readers. That also seems like a good situation and that you would be able to trust them as someone who is not just out for free stuff.

Photography offers are an entirely different situation. It is common for shop owners to encounter photographers wanting free stuff in return for professional pictures of said free stuff to use in your shop and on your website. Whether this situation is worth it for you or not depends on several things.

First of all, are you a decent photographer or do you need help? If you are completely helpless behind the camera then this is probably a great option for you. As I have mentioned many times before, the pictures that you use to list items in your shop are what get customers to look around. If your pictures are bad, then you are not getting customers and therefore not reaching your shops potential.

Secondly, how much time does it take to make your items? If you are flooded with offers and it takes you several hours to make one item than you should absolutely not accept all the offers. You don't want your free stuff to take away from your paying customers. In this situation ask to look at the photographers portfolio and pick the one you like best.

Overall, whether these offers are good ideas or not is really relative to your specific situation. These situations can certainly benefit your business when done with the right people. If you have any other questions that you think I might be able to help with, feel free to shoot me an email.

And just because...look at this precious face! My adorable son Ashton at 4.5 months.

Monday, January 24, 2011

I have a cute new shop to share with you this week! Emi Beth Boutique is full of fun things for your little one. Here is what Tonya, the owner, has this to say about herself:

"I'm a working mom of two beautiful girls and wife to a hard working husband. We live a very simple life out in the land of dirt (West Texas.) I started sewing and embroidering when my 6 year old was a baby. I love to make boutique children's clothing and embroidered items for all ages. I started on ebay and then discovered etsy and now am launching my own website: www.emibethboutique.com. I love to hear from my customers what they are looking for and am always looking for models as my photography skills leave a lot to be desired!"

Seriously, look at some of her adorable creations!

Tonya has generously offered to give away a custom embroidered tee or onesie to one winner. The winner can pick any design or have one custom created!

To enter the giveaway, visit Emi Beth Boutique online or on etsy and come back here to share your favorite design in a comment.

The giveaway will remain open until Friday, January 28th at midnight.

In addition, Tonya has a coupon code for Noodles & Milk readers. Use "Noodles15" to get 15% off anything in the EBB etsy shop. The coupon code is valid until February 7th. Enjoy!

Friday, January 21, 2011

I had the chance photograph a friends sweet little girl, Caroline. She is seriously precious. This was my first attempt at a real shoot and I did a terrible job. Just terrible. I blamed it on poor lighting (it was the most rainy overcast day of the year), but really it was a bunch of amateur mistakes on my part in addition to poor lighting. I walked away completely disappointed and angry with myself. Mostly I was angry that I thought I was ready for a real shoot when I clearly wasn't. Oh well. You live and learn. And luckily I did capture some cute shots.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Inspired by this blog, I decided to post the occasional random thoughts post. Just because. I feel like if we want to get to know each other, then you might as well know all the "stuff" that fills my head from time to time. Feel free to comment. Or not. Whatever.

Speaking of comments, thank you so much for your support over this post. It really, really, really means a lot to me. All of the comments and emails that I got in response were overwhelming and so very thoughtful. It is great to know that what I am going through is normal and that I will make it to a better place.

Anyways, right now I am sore. As in, my muscles ache. A lot. I have been doing this crazy boot camp workout for the past week. It is my first week back into workouts since having the baby and it has been hilarious. Really challenging even for athletes of the group. Oh, and did I mention that the workouts are outside. No matter the weather. My first night out it was 37 degrees. The stuff they have us doing is insane. But it is what I need to do to kick myself into gear. Especially if I want to lose 25 pounds this year.

We have been letting our baby cry a little at night in hopes of creating better sleeping habits. Overall it is working. With my daughter, the progress was super fast. She was sleeping all night after 4 days. My son is proving to be a little more stubborn. We take about 2 steps forward and then 5 steps back. Needless to say, I am really, really tired.

All I have been able to think about lately is photography stuff. It has really been consuming my thoughts lately. As in keeps me up at night. Which is great seeing as when I do fall asleep it isn't for long:) I have been reading this book and learning a lot from it. I highly recommend it. That being said, I have been taking lots of pictures for friends. They certainly have not been my best efforts, but they have turned out okay. The girls were happy with the results and that is what matters most. I will be sure to show some off really soon.

Speaking of pictures, just for fun here is my adorable three-year-old.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

I love Valentine's Day. Seriously, I love it. I know, I know...it is an over-commercialized excuse for a holiday, but I still love it. I mean, it is all about chocolate, flowers, pink, red and love! Why wouldn't you adore this holiday? Another reason I love it is because February 14th happens to be my sweet grandmother's birthday. More reason to celebrate!

If you are as into celebrating this ridiculously commercial day as I am, here are some fun things that I found on etsy to honor Saint Valentine's holiday.